Telephone-switch.



No. 854,552. PATENTED MAY '21, 1907.

J. s. ALSOBROOK.

TELEPHONE SWITCH APPLIOATION FILED JUNE 30, 1906.

IIIIIIIII/I/A nu: NORRIS PETERS co., vusmuaran, 0' c JAMES S. ALSOBROOK, OF WOOD STATION, GEORGIA.

TELEPHONE-SWITCH.

Specification of Letters Patent;

Patented May 21, 1907.

Application filed June 30,1906. Serial No. 324,189.

To all whom, it may concern:

Be it known that I, JAMEs S. ALsoBRooK, a citizen of the United States, residing at Wood Station, in the county of Catoosa and State of Georgia, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Telephone- Switches, of which the following isiaspecification.

My invention relates to improvements in telephone line switches, to be used in con nection with party line telephones.

One of the objects of the invention is to provide an apparatus which will enable more than two parties to use the line at the same time without interference or inconvenience.

A further object is to provide an apparatus whereby the operator mayjring only the bells in the direction he wishes to talk without causing?bellsforrjothertlines'ijto'fring unnecessarily. By the application of the appar'atus all other parties on the line than the one desired may be prevented from eavesdropping.

' W ith these objects in view the invention consists in a switch having spring contacts to which are connected the conductor lines, generator, and bell combined with the usual telephone lever or receiver hook, and in conjunction with these I employ an auxiliary switch for restoring the lines when the same have been inadvertently left open. A push button is also employed for use with a circuit breaker for opening the circuit so the operator may ring only the bells on the division he wishes to talk.

In the accompanying drawings I have illustrated one example of the physical embodiment of the invention constructed according to the best mode I, have so far devised for the practical application of the princiles.

p Figure 1 shows a section of a magneto box, illustrating therein a face view of the line switch, telephone receiver hook and switch, an auxiliary switch used in conjunction with the telephone switch, and the circuit breaker, with bell, generator, and telephone, diagrammatically illustrated. Fig. 2 is a side view of the line switch mechanism, the insulated cam being shown in normal or home position.

Preferably I employ the switch in connection with metallic lines, and the conductor lines marked North and South on the drawings for convenience of illustration have their wires designated as 1, 2, and 1 2*, respectively, and connected to the posts 4, 3, 5, 6, on the magneto box A.

Thefline switch as clearly illustrated in Fig. 2 consists 'ofr'a baseflplate 7 secured in the outer face of the magneto box, and provided with two lugs 7, 7, which project within the box. Upon the ends of these lugs are secured the pairs of insulated hard rubber clips 8 and 8, between which are interposed and held the contact springs of the switch. The springs and insulated blocks or clips are secured by means of the metallic plates 9 and screws 10. Four sets of these contact springs areemployed in the construction of the switch, and arelheld-jby the insulated blocks or clips. I I I As shown clearly in Fig. 1 the conductors 1 and 2 are connectedtto the spring contact plates 11 and 12, and the lines 1 and 2 are connected to the plates 11 and 12 of the switch??? At their inner ends these two pairs of springs 11, 12, 11 and 12 are provided with angular portions or bends 11 12 and 11 12 and between these bent portions of the springs the insulated cam block 13 is adapted to move. The block 13 is carried on the end of pivoted lever 14 which lever has a bearing in ears of lugs on the base plate 7, and at its outer end the lever is provided with the usual handle 15 outside the magneto box, and by means of which the cam block may be moved either up or down, spreading the spring ends 11 12, or 11 12", depending on the movement of the handle, the lugs 13 of the cam block acting as stops to prevent too great movement of the cam block.

WVithin the two pair of contact springs described, a second pair of spring plates is held at each end of the switch and designated by the numerals 16, 16, and 17, 17, respectively, the members of each pair of springs being held apart by an insulated block 18, and connected with the bell 19 by wires 20, .21, and 22, 23. The outermost contact springs 25, 25 and 26 26 are connected in pairs by the bridge wires 27 27 the plate 26 being also connected with wire 28, which leads to the generator 29, and the plate 25' is connected to wire 30, joined with wire 31 from the generator, and also to the telephone indicated at 32.

A circuit breaker is indicated at the lower left hand corner of the magneto box, consisting of two spring contact plates 33 and 3 1, which may be pushed out of contact by means of the button 35 so that the operator may ring only the bells on the proper or desired division. The plate 33 is connected to the Wire 28 and plate 26 by Wire 36 and plate 34 is connected to the telephone by Wires 37 and 38.

The receiver hook 39 is of usual construction, being held in the upper position When relieved of the receiver by spring 40, but provided with an insulated extension 41 adapted to make contact between the usual springs 42, 43, 44 of the battery telephone switch, the latter plate 44 being connected by Wire 45 to the telephone at 32, and of course all three plates being connected in usual Way when the hook is thrown up by the. spring.

In conjunction with the usual telephone sWitch I provide an auxiliary sWitch, consisting of plates held in an insulated block 46 in common with the telephone switch sprin s. This auxiliary sWitch is composed of t e spring plates 47 47, 48 and 48, an insulated block 49 being interposed between plates 47 and 48 to prevent short circuit and to insure contact between springs 47 and 47 The plate 47 is connected to the conductor 2 by wire 50, and plate 48 is connected to conductor 1 of the north line by Wire 52. The

. conductor 1 is connected to plate 47 by wire 51 and conductor 2 is connected to the remaining plate 48 by Wire 53, as clearly shown.

In use, for instance, if the operator desires to talk on the north line, he Will press down on handle 15 raising the cam block 13 between the angular portions 11 and 12 forcing the plates 11 and 12 out of contact with plates 16 and 16 and into contact With the telephone plates 25 and 25 and the circuit is com lete from generator and telephone throug wire 28, plate 26, Wire 27, plates 25 and 12 to conductor 2, and from generator and telephone through Wire 31, 30, plate 25*, plate 11 and conductor 1.

When it is desired to talk south, raise handle 15 depressing the cam 13 to force apart the plates 11 and 12 into cont-act with plates 26 and 26*. North is shut off and the south circuit is complete from generator through Wire 28, plate 26, 11 to conductor 1, and from generator through Wire 31, 30, plate 25 ,wire bridge 27, plate 26*, plate 12" and to conductor 2. Now if the operator has been negligent and left the cam in position with north line open (the first described operation) the auxiliary switch in connection With the receiver hook and switch is brought into use. As before stated, the plates of the auxiliary switch are connected With the conductors of the two lines. Assuming the cam block to be raised and the north line open, and it is desired to talk through or past the line sWitch; when the receiver is restored on I the hook the pairs of plates 47 47 and 48 48 are each brought into contact and the circuit is completed through conductor 1, wire 51, plate 47, 47, Wire and conductor 2, and from 2, wire 53 plate 48, 48, Wire 52 and conductor 1, thus the auxiliary sWitch restores the line even when the cam lever is not in home position. When the cam is in north position the south lines are in circuit With the bell, and vice' versa, so that it is possible to signal from either end of line, although out out.

Ordinarily the bells on both lines, north and south, will ring, when a call is made, but byusing the circuit breaker the ringing of the bells is confined to the division of the line called. In use When making a call, remove the receiver from its hook, throw the cam in direction Wishing to talk, press button 35, Which breaks circuit between telephone in main line and the current goes out to the main line, and prevents ringing of the bells on the line not Wanted.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. The combination with line conductors of a multiple station li-ne, telephone and call bell, a line sWitch forming the terminal of the conductors, a telephone sWitch, and an auxiliary sWitch in connection With said telephone sWitch whereby the line may be restored throu h the auxiliary sWitch when the line SWltCi is left open.

2. The combination in a telephone line, of a line switch and conductors connected thereto, a telephone sWitch, an auxiliary switch in conjunction With the telephone switch for restoring the line when left open, and a circuit breaker whereby only the bells on the line wanted are energized, when a call is made' i 3. The combination With line conductors of a line switch forming the terminals thereof and consisting of two pair of contact plat s, a telephone and a bell included in the circuit, contact plates of the sWitch connected with the bell and telephone, a telephone switch and auxiliary sWitch, and an insulated lever adapted to throw the terminals of either line into circuit with the telephone.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature in presence of two Witnesses.

/ JAMES s. ALSOBROOK. Witnesses:

WM. N MOORE, CAROLINE OSBORN. 

